A rack apparatus for improving the cargo carrying capacity of a pickup truck. The truck has a cab portion, a bed portion defined by a floor surface, a pair of sidewalls and a forward wall. The rack apparatus comprises a u-shaped frame having a pair of parallel side arms with a first and a second end, a cross bar attached to the first end of the arms, the u-shaped frame movable to and from a stowed-away position at a front end of the bed to a rearward position; the arms attached to the side walls of the pickup truck.
|
6. A method of improving the cargo carrying capacity of a pickup truck, comprising:
arranging a generally u-shaped rack assembly having a pair of parallel side arms, on a forward end of a bed of said truck, said rack being secured to said truck by said side arms; moving said rack assembly from said forward end of said bed to a location rearward of said forward end of said bed; and telescoping said side arms to effect a change in length thereof.
1. A rack apparatus for improving the cargo carrying capacity of a pickup truck, said truck having a cab portion, a bed portion defined by a floor surface, a pair of sidewalls, a forward wall, said apparatus comprising:
a u-shaped frame having a pair of parallel side arms with a first and a second end, a cross bar attached to said first end of said arms, said u-shaped frame movable to and from a stowed-away position at a front end of said bed to a rearward position; said arms attached to said side walls of said pickup truck, and said arms are slidable on said side walls.
2. The rack apparatus as recited in
3. The rack apparatus as recited in
4. The rack apparatus as recited in
5. The rack apparatus as recited in
7. The method as recited in
locating said rack to a position over a tailgate of said truck.
8. The method as recited in
arranging a plurality of anchors on said side walls of said truck to permit said side arms of said rack to be moved from one anchor position to a second anchor position.
9. The method as recited in
pivoting said rack on a pair of hinge points from a forward position to a rearward position.
|
This is a continuation-in-part application of my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/848,129, filed May 3, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,524, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for increasing the load carrying capacity of pickup trucks, and particularly to an articulable frame arrangement for increasing that load carrying capacity of a pickup truck.
2. Prior Art
About one in four of every vehicles on the road in the United States today is a pickup truck. Those pickup trucks are often utilized as both a family vehicle and as a utilitarian vehicle for home owners and service personnel. Theirs is often a dual function vehicle.
An attempt at dual function use of a pickup truck is shown by a truck rack adapter called the Rail 'N Rack System™ which permits a conversion of pickup truck bed rails into a rack. It becomes an overhead rack from a pair of bed rails. The bed rails, however, appear to require a supplemental crossbar attachment inasmuch as they are hinged at the rearwardmost point of the truck bed to provide the rear rack assembly. This is somewhat complicated. If the cross bar on the rack were constantly maintained on the side rails, they would take up valuable cargo space when the rack was not in its full upright orientation.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pickup truck with a simple, efficient, stowable rack arrangement which is not in the way of the cargo bed when the rack is not in its extended orientation but in its "stowed" orientation.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a pickup truck rack arrangement that is simple to set up and which rack arrangement takes up minimum space and is unobtrusive within the cargo bed or on the side rails of the pickup truck.
The present invention relates to a bed extender arrangement for a pickup truck. The pickup truck comprises a cab and a cargo bed thereadjacent. The cargo bed comprises an elongated floor defined by an arrangement of first and second parallel side walls, a front end wall, and a hinged tailgate extending off of the rear edge of the floor.
The bed extender arrangement in a first embodiment, comprises a generally U-shaped rail having a first side arm and a second side arm. Each side arm has a first end which is hingedly attached to an upper portion of the sidewall of the bed of the pickup truck. Each sidearm has a second end with a crossbar extending thereacross.
The U-shaped rail in the first embodiment, may be arranged so that its pair of side arms preferably rest upon or adjacent the upper edge of the sidewall at the forward half end of the bed of the pickup truck. The crossbar is thus stowed adjacent the rear wall of the cab. When it is desired to utilize the U-shaped rail to assist in cargo carrying capacity, the U-shaped rail is pivoted 180 degrees about it's hinges on the sidewall of the cargo bed, so that the crossbar and the side arms subsequently rest on the upper edge of the sidewall across a rear half portion of the bed of the pickup truck. In that manner, the crossbar provides a transverse support to long cargo such as ladders or pipes or timber.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the side arms of the U-shaped rail are slidably disposed in a pair of tracks on the upper edge of the side wall of the bed of the pickup truck. Thus, the crossbar may be extended rearwardly over the tailgate and beyond the rear end of the sidewalls of that pickup truck.
In yet a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of spaced-apart anchor points may be located on the upper edge of the sidewall. The side arms in this embodiment have a pin which mates into the anchor points and thus may be movably attachable to any one of those anchor positions spaced along the top of the sidewall to provide movability of the U-shaped rail either forwardly or rearwardly. This will enable that crossbar to be disposed at any location from the forward end of the pickup truck bed to beyond the rear end of the sidewalls and above a folded down tailgate, if desired, depending upon the orientation of the U-shaped rail is directed forwardly or rearwardly.
The crossbar in this embodiment may also be defined by a panel to function as a wall that may be disposed across (between) the sidewalls or beyond the rear edge of the sidewalls of the pickup truck bed. Thus that wall would function as a divider for cargo within the pickup truck bed or it would function as a rearwardmost wall, resting upon the tailgate in its folded down orientation.
That rearward wall in yet a further preferred embodiment may be attached to an extension of each sidearm, so as to hingedly extend therefrom to act as a ramp from the tailgate assembly.
The invention thus comprises a rack apparatus for improving the cargo carrying capacity of a pickup truck, said truck having a cab portion, a bed portion defined by a floor surface, a pair of sidewalls, a forward wall, said apparatus comprising: a U-shaped frame having a pair of parallel side arms with a first and a second end, a cross bar attached to said first end of the arms, the U-shaped frame movable to and from a stowed-away position at a front end of the bed to a rearward position; said arms attached to said side walls of the pickup truck. The side arms may be slidable on the side walls of the truck. The side arms may be telescopable to permit the side arms to be lengthwise adjustable. The cross bar may comprise a panel arranged perpendicular to the side arms. The side walls of the truck may have anchor points thereon to permit adjustment of position of the U-shaped frame with respect to the bed. The cross bar may be secured to the arms by a pair of exchangable connectors.
The invention may also include a method of improving the cargo carrying capacity of a pickup truck, comprising one or more of the following steps: arranging a generally U-shaped rack assembly having a pair of parallel side arms, on a forward end of a bed of the truck, the rack being secured to the truck by the side arms; moving the rack assembly from the forward end of the bed to a location rearward of the forward end of the bed; locating the rack to a position over a tailgate of the truck; telescoping the side arms to effect a change in length thereof; arranging a plurality of anchors on the side walls of the truck to permit the side arms of the rack to be moved from one anchor position to a second anchor position and pivoting the rack on a pair of hinge points from a forward position to a rearward position.
The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent when viewed in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:
Referring now to the drawings in detail, and particularly to
The bed extender arrangement 10 in a first embodiment, comprises a generally U-shaped rail 28, best shown in
The U-shaped rail 28 in the first embodiment, may be arranged so that its pair of side arms preferably rest upon or adjacent the upper edge of the sidewall at the forward half end 44 of the bed 16 of the pickup truck 12. The crossbar 40 is thus stowed adjacent the rear wall of the cab 14, as shown in FIG. 1. When it is desired to utilize the U-shaped rail 28 to assist in cargo carrying capacity, the U-shaped rail 28 is pivoted 180 degrees (as shown in
In a further embodiment of the present invention, an arrangement of side arms 50 and 52 of the U-shaped rail 54 are slidably disposed in a pair of tracks 56 on the upper edge of the side walls 22 and 24 of the bed 16 of the pickup truck 12. The tracks 56 are attached to a hinge 58 which is attached to an upper edge of the side walls 22 and 24. Thus, the crossbar 60 may be extended rearwardly over the tailgate 26 and beyond the rear end of the side walls 22 and 24 of that pickup truck 12.
In yet a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of spaced-apart anchor points 70 may be located on the upper edge 72 of the sidewalls 22 and 24, as shown in FIG. 6. The extender 71 is of "T" shape in side elevation in this embodiment and has a pair of side arms 74 with their distalmost ends each having a pin 76 which mates into the anchor points 70. This permits the extender 71 to be moved anywhere along the edge of the sidewalls 22 and 24 and thus may be movably attachable to any one of those anchor points 70 spaced along the top of the sidewall to provide movability (of the U-shaped rail either forwardly or rearwardly. A mid-bed location is shown in phantom in FIG. 6. This will enable that crossbar 77 to be disposed at any location from the forward end of the pickup truck bed to beyond the rear end of the sidewalls and above a folded down tailgate, if desired, depending upon the orientation of the extender 71 is directed forwardly or rearwardly.
The crossbar 77 in this embodiment may also be defined by a panel to function as a wall "W" that may be disposed across (between) the side walls 22 and 24 or beyond the rear edge of the side walls 22 and 24 of the pickup truck bed 16. Thus that wall "W" would function either as a divider (as shown in phantom) for cargo within the pickup truck bed or it would function as a rearwardmost wall, resting upon the tailgate in its folded down orientation, as shown to the left in FIG. 6.
That rearward wall in yet a further preferred embodiment may be attached to an extension of each sidearm, so as to hingedly extend therefrom to act as a ramp from the tailgate assembly.
Halgren, Donald N., Morse, Charles H
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
10005402, | Oct 06 2016 | BESTRIDENT LTD. | Load-assisting cargo bracket for vehicles |
10173735, | Oct 27 2006 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle cargo tailgate enclosure |
10399421, | Aug 06 2014 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC. | Tonneau cover and method of attachment |
10457124, | Aug 18 2017 | ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION | Modified retractable tonneau cover |
10457337, | Jun 30 2011 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC. | Vehicle bed extender |
10518821, | Oct 27 2006 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC. | Vehicle cargo tailgate enclosure |
10556534, | Oct 24 2016 | Ford Global Technologies, LLC | Apparatus and method for transporting cargo over a cargo bed |
10800231, | Aug 04 2014 | ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION | Retractable truck bed cover having slat array with flexible joiner members and shielded seams |
10919369, | Apr 16 2018 | LUND, INC | Clamp assembly for tonneau cover |
11040605, | Aug 18 2017 | ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION | Modified retractable tonneau cover |
11052828, | Sep 19 2019 | Cargo rack for trucks | |
11072227, | Aug 06 2014 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC. | Tonneau cover and method of attachment |
11142263, | Oct 27 2006 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC. | Vehicle tailgate enclosure |
11220163, | Oct 26 2018 | ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION | Vehicle rack assembly |
11433953, | Oct 27 2006 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle cargo tailgate enclosure |
11634014, | Aug 04 2014 | ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION | Retractable truck bed cover having slat array with flexible joiner members and shielded seams |
11654755, | Oct 26 2018 | ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION | Vehicle rack assembly |
11654978, | Nov 04 2019 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle rack assembly |
11697332, | Aug 18 2017 | ROLL-N-LOCK CORPORATION | Modified retractable tonneau cover |
11724753, | Oct 27 2006 | Lund Motion Products. Inc. | Vehicle cargo tailgate enclosure |
6752574, | Sep 10 2001 | Method and apparatus for transporting a recreational vehicle | |
6959955, | Dec 18 2001 | BESTOP, INC | Storage apparatus for automobiles |
7104582, | Jan 28 2004 | Collapsible cargo organizer | |
7226100, | Jun 28 2005 | BOZ Design, LLC | Vehicle bed extender |
7464976, | Oct 28 2005 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle bed storage rack and bed divider |
7568748, | Mar 02 2007 | Cargo rack for pickup truck | |
7654598, | May 21 1996 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle cargo bed extender |
7665799, | Sep 15 2006 | ACT APPROPRIATE COMBINED TECHNOLOGIES, INC | Truck bed extension and roll bar apparatus |
7681935, | May 21 1996 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle cargo bed extender |
7841638, | Oct 27 2006 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle cargo tailgate enclosure |
7959203, | Oct 29 2007 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle tailgate enclosure with enhanced adjustment |
8191952, | Jan 02 2007 | Device capable of modulation by expansion or compaction for forming a protection and transport structure at the back and at the height of the roof of the passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle | |
8297677, | May 21 1996 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle cargo bed extender |
8727415, | Jun 30 2011 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle bed extender |
8864001, | May 16 2012 | Adaptable support arrangement for a pickup truck | |
9352790, | Jun 30 2011 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC. | Vehicle bed extender |
9834259, | Jun 30 2011 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC. | Vehicle bed extender |
D546756, | Oct 30 2004 | Truck bed rail | |
D568230, | Nov 01 2005 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle storage rack |
D597924, | Nov 01 2005 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Vehicle storage rack |
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
4475760, | Jun 21 1982 | Truck bed extension attachment | |
5037152, | Oct 26 1990 | PWHH, INC | Collapsible truck rack |
5147103, | Aug 26 1991 | Utility cage for a pickup truck | |
5522685, | Nov 28 1994 | Snowmobile transport aid | |
5700047, | May 21 1996 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Truck bed extender |
5816637, | Dec 20 1996 | Truck cargo space extension bed | |
5820190, | Feb 21 1997 | Track bed extending system | |
5911464, | Oct 30 1997 | Auxiliary tailgate | |
6113173, | May 21 1996 | LUND MOTION PRODUCTS, INC | Truck bed extender |
6283525, | Oct 24 2000 | Bed extender apparatus for a pickup truck | |
6394524, | Oct 24 2000 | Pivotable rack apparatus for a pickup truck |
Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Date | Maintenance Fee Events |
Feb 14 2007 | REM: Maintenance Fee Reminder Mailed. |
Jul 29 2007 | EXP: Patent Expired for Failure to Pay Maintenance Fees. |
Date | Maintenance Schedule |
Jul 29 2006 | 4 years fee payment window open |
Jan 29 2007 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Jul 29 2007 | patent expiry (for year 4) |
Jul 29 2009 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4) |
Jul 29 2010 | 8 years fee payment window open |
Jan 29 2011 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Jul 29 2011 | patent expiry (for year 8) |
Jul 29 2013 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8) |
Jul 29 2014 | 12 years fee payment window open |
Jan 29 2015 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Jul 29 2015 | patent expiry (for year 12) |
Jul 29 2017 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12) |